Come back to me
by PlantYourTrees
Summary: The trees were bent over in submission. The sky was weeping. One thought was on Aragorn's mind. He must kill the elf.
1. Chapter 1

Aragorn son of Arathorn woke, his face pale.

In his dream a huge, horrible shadow that stretched vastly across the field were he stood, tall and golden grass bending and dying under the darkness as it crept, like a cat, forward. Screams echoed in the crisp air and one was highlighted in Aragorn's mind. It had a clear, elvish sound to it. Unmistakably Legolas's voice.

Then a deeper, darker voice spoke to Aragorn. " _You cannot save him._ "

Aragorn's body jerked from his control, as if he was a puppet on a string with great, black, evil fingers as a puppet master. Legolas appeared suddenly before him, his face was cut and bruised.

A knife lay on the ground before him and against his will Aragorn bent and picked it up. His legs jerked towards Legolas. The knife in his hand and ready to strike.

 _Run_ , he wanted to scream. _Go! Run!_

Legolas merely stood there, fear in his eyes. Aragorn fought to regain control of his body but his hands still raised the knife, still plunged it into the neck of the elf. Blood spilled over Aragorn's hands, staining his skin with his friends blood.

Confusion shone in Legolas's eyes before the light faded and his body went limp, crumpling to the ground.

He sat up and looked around to reassure himself it was just a dream. Aragorn's breathed a sigh of relief. The elf sat with his back to a tree, watching the man. Question lit his eyes. " _Mellon-nin, manen le?"_ (My friend, are you alright?)

"I am fine Legolas. Merely a bad dream," Aragorn said.

"Go back to sleep human. You need rest," Legolas's eyes glimmered with unsaid words. _You need rest-unlike me._

Aragorn lay back down but it took him only moments to realize he would not get anymore sleep that night. The screams of Legolas plagued him when ever he closed his eyes. He knew it was only a dream but the sounds were so real and so chilling that they prevented him from closing his eyes.

Legolas seemed to understand as the ranger got up and walked to his side. "You cannot sleep." The elf stated it as a fact, not a question.

"No."

Aragorn leaned against his friends shoulder and sighed. Legolas played absentmindedly with the mans tangled hair, combing it with his fingers. "Estel?" Legolas asked softly.

"Yes?"

"What was the dream about? Can you tell me?"

Aragorn knew the elf was merely curious but dread filled him as he thought of recalling the horrible nightmare. "I may be able to tell you some of it."

"Was it such a bad one you can only repeat some of it?"

"Yes," Aragorn's said, the memory of his friends blood spilling over his fingers fresh in his mind.

"If you no not wish me you do not have to. I do not wish to distress you." The sincerity in Legolas's clear eyes made Aragorn sigh.

"I am fine."

"Will you tell me?" Legolas already knew the answer was 'yes'.

Aragorn took a deep breath. "I was standing in a field and a...shadow was stretching over the ground, covering the grass, killing all plants it fell across. Screams were echoed across the field. I could not make out who nearly all of them belonged to but they sounded as if the sources of the screams were enduring a world of agony. I knew who one scream belonged to." He did not say anything else for a moment, letting Legolas digest the information. By the look on the elf's face he knew whose scream Aragorn recognized. His arm wrapped around his friends shoulders.

"And...?" The elf asked.

"The dark spoke to me again, telling me I could not save you. And...and then I woke up," he lied.

For a moment it seemed Legolas had seen through Aragorn's lie but then he said softly, "it is alright Estel. There is not evil at the moment. I am here and we are safe."

Aragorn wanted to believe him. "We shall continue to Rivendell at dawn," the human said.

"Rest now Estel."

Still leaning against his friend, Aragorn drifted into a dreamless sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

When the light of the sun bled through the sky and turned it pink and gold Legolas woke Aragorn. "Estel," he murmured, "wake up."

Aragorn stirred and blinked up at his friend sleepily. "Good morning _Mellon-nin._ (my friend.)

"Good morning Estel. Come now, we must start moving if we wish to reach Rivendell in three days time."

"Must we?" Aragorn asked, looking sleep around. "What is for breakfast?"

Legolas smiled and handed him half a lemba. "Yes we must keep moving. Now hurry, get your pack."

Aragorn took the lemba gratefully.

* * *

As the sun reached it highest point in the sky and the two walked on, sometimes in silence and sometimes speaking.

They had reached the summit of a tall hill that marked them as 1/6 the Rivendell. Aragorn had sat for a moment, fixing his pack when he noticed Legolas.

The elf stood stock still, staring down at the outline of a dark, dead looking forest that lay just as the hill evened out on to flat ground.

"Legolas? What is wrong _Mellon-nin_?" Aragorn asked.

Legolas pointed at the forest. "They are all dead Estel."

Aragorn knew how much Legolas loved the trees and knew this sight pained his friend. "It is alright. Perhaps we do not have to go through them."

The elf shook his head. "There is no way around."

"Let us go then."

Legolas looked wary and did not move. "I do not want to walk through a graveyard of trees. Something dark is in there."

Aragorn took his friends hand. "Legolas, do you trust me?"

"With my life," he replied automatically.

"Then believe me when I say that the trees will be fine if we journey through them. Trees love you Legolas, and they would not like to stop you from reaching Rivendell. They would not object."

Legolas nodded and did not speak. He started down the hill towards the dead forest. Aragorn followed him and they continued in silence until the forest was only feet in front of them.

Legolas shuddered. "I do not want to go in."

Aragorn placed a comforting hand on Legolas's shoulder and together they entered.

* * *

The forest was dark, it completely blocked out the sun light and there was something eery. It wasn't that Legolas and Aragorn were surrounded by dead trees...there was something else...dark magic.

"Legolas?"

"Yes Estel?"

"Are you alright?"

"Yes."

Aragorn didn't believe it.

"Estel!"

"What is it Legolas?" The elf sounded urgent.

"I hear something."

"What do you hear?"

"I do not know."

They fell silent, fear beating in their hearts. Aragorn could hear something now, black, evil whispers that sliced through the trees.

Something grabbed his arm, pulling him into the trees.

* * *

"Estel?" Legolas called, chills running through him when he got no answer.

He leaned against a tree, wishing it was still alive so he could speak with it, ask it were Aragorn had gone, ask the trees to show him.

"Estel!" He called out again, louder. Again there was no response and the elf felt his worry grow.

The trees shuddered as someone-or something- pushed their way through their dead branches. Legolas froze, his hands knocked an arrow and drew it back, almost instinctively.

"Legolas!" The voice from the trees called.

"Estel! Are you alright?"

The man pushed his way from the trees. "I am fine."

"Where were you?"

"I fell. Do not worry."

Legolas frowned. _Aragorn is acting slightly off,_ he thought. "Let us continue then."

"Let's."

* * *

The man walked behind the elf. His footsteps in time with Legolas's. Aragorn looked around with a smile, a sneer at the dead trees. His mind was set on one goal. He must kill Legolas. The elf must die.


	3. Chapter 3

Legolas's eyes were full of sadness as he passed a small, dead tree. It was hardly more than a sprout and pained the elf greatly to see it. " _Naethen Mellon-nin_." (I am sorry my friend)

He could hear Aragorn's footsteps falter behind him. "Estel?" He called. "Is everything alright?"

"I am fine Legolas," came the mans soft voice from behind him.

Legolas eyes him warily. Something was off. He racked his mind, hoping to find the answer. What made him think something was off? Was it that Aragorn would not meet the elf's gaze? Was it the strange look on his face? _Maybe I am merely imagining it._

* * *

Aragorn's hands wanted to move to the sword he bore. He wanted to cut the elf, watch the light fade from his eyes, the the blood on his hands.

But not yet. The elf could kill him if he were to make the move now. Aragorn knew he must wait until Legolas was vulnerable enough. Perhaps while the elf slept. A dark grin unfolded on Aragorn's face.

Then somewhere, protected from the darkness of whatever spell was put on the man, was a small, sane, conscious part of him, the real him who loved Legolas like a brother pushed through. _How could you kill him? He trusts you with his life! If you succeeded then you would have to life your life knowing that you killed not only your best friend but also the prince of Mirkwood!_

* * *

Legolas was relieved when they reached the edge of the forest as night fell in a soft blanket over the rolling hills. He did not want to sleep under the canopy of dead trees

"Estel," he called to the man behind him once they had found a fall spanse of ground. "Shall I take first watch?"

Aragorn looked up at him, still not meeting his eyes. "Alright. Wake me when the moon is at its peak."

"Of course."

He sat down, hating how exposed they were, hating how there were no trees to speak to. _It is one night. I can mange._

The stars bloomed like precious flowers that only open in the dark of night and the quarter moon shine through a cloud cover like a diamond. Legolas turned his gaze to Aragorn who lay sleeping under a blanket. A fire had been to risky in such an exposed area.

Nothing moved for the entire watch.

When the moon reached the top of its climb Legolas quietly walked over to Aragorn. "Estel. Wake up. It is time for your watch."

Aragorn rolled over and blinked up at the elf. "Thank you _Mellon-nin_."

Legolas lay on his back, staring up at the stars until the dreams of elves overtook him.

* * *

 _Now. Do it now!_ Hissed a voice in the mans head.

Aragorn stood and walked noiselessly over to were Legolas slept. He knelt beside the elf and raised his knife over the elf's throat, ready to bring it down and ready to kill.

He couldn't. That sane part of him was screaming as loud as it could to make itself heard. _What are you doing?! This is Legolas! He has saved you many times! And now look at you, raising that knife, ready to kill! This. Is. A. SPELL! Those are not your thought. They are someone else's! What if you killed him? Why would you kill him? What is the purpose of taking his life?_

And then that dark part, the one that longed for the elf's blood broke in. _**Do it. You must kill the elf! You know that you want to and I want you too. If you do not carry out my bidding I will make you hurt until you beg for death! He must die! One way or another you must kill him! Why are you hesitating? Do you want the pain? I can give it to you. Kill him!**_

Aragorn raised the knife above Legolas's heart. He breathed in deeply and plunged the knife down.


	4. Chapter 4

The knife stopped.

Its tip was seconds away from Legolas's chest. Seconds away from what would have been inevitable death for the elf prince.

Aragorn's subconscious, sane part had broken through the barrier of dark spells. _You nearly just killed your best friend!_

Aragorn pulled the knife away an staggered, falling against the tree where he had been keeping watch. "What did I almost do?" He whispered.

 **What you did do was stray from my orders. You must be punished,** said the dark voice in his head, generated from the spell.

An agony that fire and spears could not compare to ripped through his body. The pain rendered him speechless. He could not scream, could not move. Then, as sudden as it had come...the pain was gone.

 _Why do you wish the elf dead?_ Aragorn asked, tears of pain running down his face.

 _ **My business about the elf is no concern of yours.**_

 _Excuse me but you want me to kill him for you! Why do you want him dead?_

 _ **I want his father to remember. To feel the pain of losing a child.**_

 _What wrong did Thranduil ever do to you?_

 _ **That is not what you asked. I will say no more. Kill him!**_

Aragorn felt the darkness creeping in to his mind. The quantity was in such an enormous amount the small lightness could not help but be caged by it. "I will kill him," Aragorn agreed. "But not tonight."

 _ **Tonight he is safe.**_

* * *

The sun was swallowed up by the dark clouds hovering above the man and the elf. They had only walked for a half hour before Legolas turned around, facing Aragorn.

"Estel," he said.

"Yes Legolas." Aragorn's gaze was still not meeting the elf's.

"Who are you?" Legolas asked seriously. He had known something was wrong since Aragorn disappeared in the forest. This man before him was not the Aragorn he knew

"I am Aragorn son of Arathorn. Why do you ask?" The man lifted his chin.

Legolas raised his eye brows. "I asked because since you disappeared in the forest you have been acting strange. Look at me."

Aragorn raised his eyes to the elf's peircing blue ones. Legolas almost flinched at the darkness brewing, the spells reflected in their depths.

Aragorn was under a spell.

Legolas was at his friends side in seconds. "A spell?" He mused. "What for?"

The answer hit him in form of a small knife.

Aragorn's eyes had darkened with an evil that spoke only of bloodlust as he rammed the dagger between the elf's ribs.

Legolas doubled over, his hands pressed to his side, blocking the blood flow. "To kill me," he whispered, looking up at Aragorn. "Why?"

Aragorn was trembling, his eyes clear and a look of terror on his face. "Legolas. I am sorry! Are you alright? I..." Tears were in the mans eyes.

"Hush Estel. Be calm," Legolas straightened,the wound was hardly bleeding anymore.

Aragorn dropped the knife and sank to his knees. "I am sorry," he whispered.

"It is not your fault." He wrapped a comforting arm around the mans shoulders, letting him relax.

"I was supposed to kill you. I do not know why."

"I know."

"I am sorry."

Legolas sighed. There must be way to break this evil.

If there was he would find it.


End file.
